Sparking igniter for explosive-engines.



Patented Apr. I6. |90l. W. ROCHE. SPARKING IGNITER FOR EXPLUSIVE ENGINES.

(Application led Nov. 20, 1900.)

(llo Model.)

Ww F N VEN 70H Willi/'win oce UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ROCHE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SPARKING IGNITER FOR EXPLOSlVE-ENGNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,332, dated April 16, 1901.

Application filed November 20, 1900. Serial No 37.106. (No model.)

To a/Z whom may con/cera:

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM ROCHE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of .Iersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and lmproved Electric Igniter forEXplosive-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

My invention relates to electric igniters for explosive-engines, and has for its object to provide a device of this class which will be simple and compact and which is so constructed as to considerably diminish if not altogether obviate the liability of such devices to form sparks at points where sparking should not occur.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an elevation of my improved igniter. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view, and Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the igniter.

The improved igniter comprises a body A of an approximately cylindrical shape, said body being adapted to be fitted in any approved manner in the cylinder-head of an explosive-engine or in some other part of the cylinder, and preferably the body has an enlargement or collar A' at its central portion, forming shoulders which serve as stops to properly determine the position of the igniterbody in the receiving-recess of the cylinder or cylinder-head.

The body A is made of insulating material, as porcelain, and is provided at its inner endthat is, the end which is within the explosionchamber of the cylinder-with a central notch or recess A2, so as to form two spaced lugs or projections A3. At the other or outer end of the body I provide segmental recesses A4, located on opposite sides of the body, so as to leave between them a central partition A5, which is of greater thickness at its ends than at its middle. From points located about centrally of the lugs A3 longitudinal channels extend within the body A to points at the bottoms or inner ends of the recesses A4, said channels converging from the recesses inward. Within the channels are received conductors B in the nature of thin rods or wires, and the inner ends B of said conductors Afit into inwardly-tapering through-openings in conducting-caps C, said caps being held in position by the conductors B, as will be eX- plained presently, and to connect the conductors with the caps the inner ends of the conductors are passed through the openings in the caps, and then the said ends are upset, so as to widen them, as shown. The caps C have the usual spark-points C', (of platin um,) soldered or otherwise secured thereto, said points projecting over the recess A2, while the caps C bear against the lugs A3. The outer ends of the conductors B, which are separated bythe partition A5, are screw-threaded to receive nuts D and D', respectively. Of these the inner nuts Dare adapted to engage the bottom walls of, the recesses A4, so as to exert a pulling` strain on the conductors B, and thus to press the caps C firmly against the projections A3. The outer nuts D serve to clamp the connecting-wires E against the nutsl D.

Owing to the divergent arrangement of the conductors B, their inner ends are closest to each other, and there is therefore little or no liability of a spark occurring within the body A injuring the same and interfering with the proper operation of the igniter. In order that no spark may cross between the adjacent edges of the nuts D or D', (which edges are closer together than the outer ends of the conductors 0,) I have interposed the partition A5 between said nuts D and D. The recess A2 prevents the bridging of the space between the two caps B by matter deposited on the lugs A3 by the action of the electric current. It will be understood that the wires E are connected with a spark-coil or other source of high-tensionelectricity.

l-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. An electric igniter, comprising an insulating-body, conductors extending longitudinally therethrough, and conducting-caps provided with spark-points and with apertures IOO tapering toward the conductors, the inwardlywidened inner ends of the conductors tting into said apertures.

2. An electric igniter, comprising an insu-v lating-body,provided with acentral projection or partition at its outer end, and at its inner end with a central notch or recess and with lugs at each side of said recess, conducting`- caps engaging' said lugs and provided with spark-points and with Haring apertures, conductors extending lengthwise through said body and having their widened inner ends fitted into the apertures of the caps, said conductors converging toward their inner ends 

